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Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Rabbi praises Pope Benedict for his clear teaching

New York, September 4 (CNA).-A rabbi from Monsey, New York, has lauded Pope Benedict XVI for reinstating the Latin Mass and affirming that only Catholic Church qualifies as the one, true Church.

In an article titled The Pope's Got A Point and published in the July 18 issue of The Jewish Press, Rabbi Yerachmiel Seplowitz says he is "not at all put off by the fact that the leader of another religion sees that religion as primary."

"I've always found it curious that people of different religions get together in a spirit of harmony to share their common faiths," he writes. "By definition, these people should have strong opposition to the beliefs of their 'colleagues' at the table. The mode of prayer of one group should be an affront to the other group.

"What the pope is saying  and I agree 100 percent  is that there are irreconcilable differences, and we can't pretend those differences don't exist," he states. "I can respect the pope for making an unambiguous statement of what he believes."

While all people, created in God's image, and their beliefs are worthy of respect, "we don't need to play games of 'I'm okay, your okay' with beliefs we find unacceptable," he writes.

Rabbi Seplowitz notes that the original form of the Latin Mass included a prayer for the conversion of the Jews. When the Latin Mass was reinstated, the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations wrote to the Vatican, requesting that the conversion prayer not be reintroduced.

"I ask you, does this make sense? Where do we Jews get off making demands of Catholics that they only say prayers that meet with our approval?" he asks. "The audacity of Jews dictating to Christians how they should pray is simply mind-boggling."

"Should we allow the Vatican to dictate what we say in our prayers? Or should we, perhaps, do a line-by-line analysis of the Talmud to make sure there is nothing there that people may find offensive?" he writes.

The rabbi says he is not suggesting Jewish leaders should not talk with Catholic leaders. "The pope needs to know, for example, that it is good to encourage his millions of followers to support Israel and that it is bad to hate Jews," he writes.

But the dialogue need not be theological, he suggests. "There needs to be careful dialogue, but it needs to be a secular, common, needs-based dialogue. We should not be studying Talmud together and we should not be discussing prayer."

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Pope laments collapse of marriages

Grateful that Pope Benedict XVI spoke on this topic, but until the Tribunals which issue thousands of 'Null' verdicts based on slippery psychological reasoning are told to stop and return to defending the permanency of marriage, things won't change much in this day of forced, unilateral 'No Fault' Divorce. Why it takes the 'threat' of same sex marriage to begin to see that there is danger in the land, I have NO idea.

Truth needs to be spoken again from the pulpits about the permanency of marriage, about Jesus' words that divorce and 're' marriage being adultery, and causing adultery.

Paul tells us in 1Cor 7 that the Lord said to remain single or reconcile....not hit the local Tribunals for 'false compassion' annulments that allow adulterers to divorce their spouse, invite the 'other person' into the marital home and bed, then into a 'second marriage'... then into seeking permission to marry in the Church by going and getting an annulment.... or being told to live together as brother and sister in order to care for the children of the second 'marriage'... thereby ignoring the children of the first marriage (and the ONLY marriage that God may recognise in the final analysis when standing before Him...no matter what MANKIND, civil or Church may say... )

TRUTH sets us free, not a false spirit of compassion...listen to the children... read Elizabeth Marquardt.

God bless! HT to Nancy Valko, RN .. thanks, Nancy!

Pope laments collapse of marriages

LORETO, Italy (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday decried the collapse of marriages, telling tens of thousands of young Catholics that he was praying a crisis in traditional family values doesn't become an "irreversible failure."

Benedict told an estimated 300,000 young pilgrims who trekked to the shrine city of Loreto for a weekend religious rally to have faith that they can succeed in marriage even though so many others had failed.

"There is so much failure of love all around us," Benedict told the crowd, camped out on a vast, dusty field. "How many couples don't succeed and separate? How many families end up in pieces? How many young people, even among you, have seen their parents separate and divorce?"

After hearing young people's stories about their broken homes and living on the periphery of society, he assured them that he and the entire Roman Catholic Church were praying "that the crisis that is affecting families today doesn't become an irreversible failure."

Benedict has frequently decried the collapse of family values and has spoken of the need to support "traditional" marriage between man and woman. The Italian bishops conference — which organized the rally — has mounted a major campaign to support traditional families and oppose proposed Italian legislation giving same-sex couples several legal rights.

The pope told the crowd to have faith that God would help them, even though they may ask themselves how they could succeed in marriage where their friends and families had failed.

"Do not be afraid," he said, repeating a phrase often used by Pope John Paul II.

Prayer needed for Natasha Marie deSa

Please keep Natasha and her family in prayer. They have also included a particular prayer that they would like said. See below:

God bless!

On 9/1/07, Gregory wrote:

Please join us in prayer for the attached intention.

Greg and Sara

Dear Friends and Family;

Thank you so much for all your prayers for our little beautiful baby girl, Natasha Marie.They have really strengthened us during this hard time.

The doctors did the tests on Natasha's lungs and determined that 3 of the 4 pulmonary veins from the lungs were going towards the abdomen instead of the heart. One of the four veins was going to the heart and because she has thin arteries, this to some extent balances the circulation. But unfortunately because the veins come together so far from the heart the doctors say that surgery is not possible to correct this situation.

Our pediatric cardiologist is going to send the images of her lungs and heart over to Children's Hospital in Philadelphia and Boston but does not think any baby with a similar situation has been operated on. We are still hoping for a medical miracle, but one by one it looks like all the medical doors are being shut. If none open, then they will stabilize her and send her home for us to enjoy our precious few days with her.

I must tell you she is very beautiful and looking at her one would never imagine the challenges she faces because of her internal anatomy. She is able to breathe on her own, the only time they had to put her on a ventilator was for yesterday's tests.

Zita, who was in a different hospital (Fair Oaks) recovering from labor, was able to visit Natasha in the ICU for the first time yesterday after the tests when she was still on the ventilator. Hearing her voice, one she had heard for nine precious months, Natasha started to breathe on her own again and attempted to shake off the ventilator tube. It was so touching to see the bond God has placed between mother and child.

As I said, medical options seem exhausted, so we are praying that if God wills, He can perform a miracle for our precious daughter, and ask you to beg Him for the same. To our Catholic friends we ask you to pray a nine day novena, asking Bishop Alvaro del Portillo to join us from Heaven in asking our Lord for this miracle.

To our other Christian and non-Christian brethren, let me add a few words of explanation. On earth, we have people like members of our Church or family or people like the Rev. Billy Graham who are close to Our Lord that we would ask to pray to Jesus on our behalf. We also have friends who were very close to our Lord on earth and infinitely closer in Heaven where they see Him face to face who we beg to pray to Him on our behalf. Freed from all attachment to sin, their prayers are much more powerful than when they were alive. We never pray to them, that would be idolatrous, we ask them to join their prayers to ours.

Bishop Alvaro was a very holy priest who was close to the late John Paul II, a close collaborator in Vatican II, and much respected and loved by our late great pontiff. We ask him to join his prayers in Heaven to ours that Our Lord, if that be His will work a miracle for our beloved Natasha.

But all prayers are heard by God, no matter the outcome (in our eyes), He works all to the good as we will discover when we cross the thin veil that separates this world from the next. So, please pray to Him in any way you feel comfortable.

Natasha's lifem though only 3 days long so far, has already touched hundreds of people all over the globe. So, it has already a great purpose. Several people have shared stories with us on how their faith has been strengthened, nurses have cried and prayed for her with us. We already feel blessed beyond anything we deserve for the chance to know and love her.

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts, they have uplifted us in this, the most difficult chapter of our lives. There are too many people to thank individually, family members who are, through their own pain, praying constantly, close friends in our parish, school, and work who have visited and prayed with us, and countless other friends, old and new- people who we have never met but feel like we already know. Please continue to pray for our little angel.

God Bless

Zita and Colin, Aaron, Andrew, Marc, Katrina, and Natasha

P.S. I am sorry, there are thousands of people praying and I don't have all the email addresses. Please forward this email.

Prayer for don Alvaro's intercession

Prayer for private devotion.

O God, most merciful Father, you granted your servant Avaro, Bishop, the grace of being an exemplary pastor in the service of the Church, and a most faithful son and successor to Saint Josemaria, the founder of Opus Dei. Grant that I too may respond faithfully to the demands of the Christian vocation, turning all the circumstances and events of my life into opportunities to love you and serve the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Deign to glorify your servant Alvaro, abd through his intercession grant me the favor I request ... (here make your petition).

Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be to the Father.

In conformity with the decrees of Pope Urban VIII, we declare that there is no intention of anticipating in any way the judgment of the Church, and that this prayer is not intended for public use.